Staff

Dr. Lutz was born in Newton, NC and attended NC State University where he obtained his degree in Biological Sciences. He then went on to attend The University of Alabama at Birmingham where he earned his doctorate in Optometry.

He and his wife, Janelle, moved back to North Carolina after graduate school to begin their careers. They fell in love with the town of Wendell, the genuine people in the town, and the sense of community they felt being involved in the town. They decided that Wendell was the perfect place to start their family and help start a practice. Dr. Lutz enjoys seeing patients of all ages and getting to know each one of his patients and their family. He prides himself on helping patients see to their best ability through glasses and/or contacts. He also enjoys managing different ocular diseases and helping patients enjoy their vision for years.

Dr. Lutz is a member of the North Carolina State Optometric Society and the American Optometric Association. He is a member of the Wendell Rotary Club and serves as a commissioner on the Wendell Board of Commissioners. He is an active member of Wendell United Methodist Church and helps coach youth sports. He enjoys spending time outside, being active, and watching NC State athletics. He and his wife live in Wendell with their two children Rhett and Kate.

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Dr. Vick grew up in Salisbury, NC and attended the University of North Carolina (Go Heels), where she received her Biological Science degree. She earned her doctorate in Optometry from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, where she graduated with honors. After graduating, Dr. Vick moved back to North Carolina with her husband Adam, fell in love with the small-town charm of Wendell, and has called it home since 2016.

Dr. Vick has a passion for patient care and recognizes the eyes as the window to a person’s overall health. She provides routine vision care including glasses and contact lenses, as well as diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, and more. She enjoys caring for patients of all ages and abilities, though she has a special passion for working with pediatric and dry eye patients.

Dr. Vick is a member of the American Optometric Association and the North Carolina Optometric Society. Outside of optometry, she enjoys working out, doing DIY projects around the house, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children, Holden and Harper. She is excited to join the Wendell Eye Care team and is looking forward to caring for you and your family.

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Janelle is originally from Pennsylvania but grew up in Hickory, North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she received her Exercise and Sports Science Degree and went on to get her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She spent many years working at the Wakemed Rehab Hospital as a physical therapist working primarily with patients who had suffered brain injuries, strokes and other neurological ailments. In 2016, Dr. Lutz and her purchased Wendell Eye Care and she took on the role of office manager mainly handling the financial aspects of the office while also continuing her role as PT at Wakemed. She continued to work as both a PT and office manager until 2021, when she was needed in the office on more of a full time basis. She continues to handle the financial aspects of the office while also maintaining general office needs, human resources, social media and website management. Because of her physical therapy background, Janelle has a passion for patient care. She enjoys greeting and checking in patients, assisting patients with glasses selection and patient work ups.

Janelle lives in downtown Wendell with Dr. Lutz and their two children, Rhett and Kate. When not at work, she can often be found on a soccer field or golf course watching her kids do what they love best! In her free time, she enjoys exercising, traveling and spending time outdoors.

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Kelly was born and raised in Amherst, Virginia where she began her career in eye care in 2006. Her first experience in the industry was as a technician. During this time, she became certified as a Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) and Certified Paraoptometric Assistant (CPOA). After a few years as a technician, she transitioned to more of an optical role. It was in the optical, that she truly found her love for eyecare. She has a passion for helping patients pick out the perfect pair of glasses and she takes the time to get to know each patient so that she can ensure they are in the best lenses to suit their everyday needs. Kelly’s friendly personality and attention to detail make her the perfect fit for our optical team!

Kelly lives in Clayton with her husband Dustin and 2 sons, Alex and Karter, and her 3 ragdoll cats. Kelly is an avid lover of Disney and all things Crime Junkies. She loves to read and watch Mystery and Psychological Thrillers – if you have any suggestions let her know! Kelly hates to be hot so during summer months you will most definitely find her near air conditioning and she is likely to blame if our office is colder than normal! 🙂

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Lilly was born and raised in Wendell, NC. She went to WIlliam Peace University where she played college soccer during her college career. She graduated in December of 2022 with a Bachelors of Psychology Degree. She started working in the optical industry during college but officially started her optical apprenticeship in December of 2022. She enjoys helping others and seeing their excitement when they are finally able to see through their new glasses. Lilly’s sweet personality, willingness to learn and attention to detail make her a perfect fit for our Wendell Eye Care team!

When not at work, Lilly enjoys spending time with her 3 cats. She loves crystals and nature and she enjoys reading and watching mystery and psychological thrillers!

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Susan was born and raised in Roanoke Rapids, NC. She started her optical career working in an optical shop for an ophthalmologist. Her love for all things optical inspired her to go to Opticianary school to be licensed in NC. She attended J Sargeant Reynolds Community College and graduated Com Laude in 1990. She was licensed in VA and NC.

After 16 years, her family relocated to Tallahasse, Fl where she got licensed and worked for a privately owned practice with many locations. She worked as a manager and optician in this practice until her family decided to move back to NC. She worked for several years at a corporate “Big Box” optical shop but ultimately decided that she missed private practice which led her to Wendell Eye Care. She enjoys working with patients of all ages to find just the right frame for their personality and encouraging patients to step outside of the box. Susan’s upbeat personality and talkative nature make her a wonderful fit for our optical team.

Susan and her husband Pat have been married for 35 years and live in Bailey, NC. They have 2 daughters and 2 grandsons. In her spare time she likes to read, travel and work in the yard. She is a member of the NC Opticians Association and maintains her optical license in NC.

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Nichole is a native of Zebulon, NC and began her career in optometry over 10 year ago. She received her medical administrative and health records certifications following graduation and began her career in eye care shortly thereafter. Prior to becoming an optometric technician, Nichole worked as a patient care coordinator performing patient scheduling, check in/out, and front desk duties. Following two years as a patient care coordinator, she transitioned to the role of optometric technician. As optometric technician, Nichole conducts all preliminary vision tests prior to your eye examination and assists Dr. Lutz and Dr. Vick with special testing and other patient care needs as they arise. Nichole’s excellent work ethic and attention to detail make her the perfect fit for this role in our office. She strives to ensure that each patient feels comfortable during their appointment and that their visit is as smooth and efficient as possible.

Nichole lives in Zebulon with her two sons. She enjoys spending time outside, watching her sons play sports and spending time with family and friends.

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Emily was born and raised in New Hampshire. She began her career as a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) prior to beginning her career in optometry. Emily has been in the field of optometry for 6 years, working primarily in an optometric technician role. She became a Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) in the summer of 2021 and has plans to complete the next two levels of certification in the near future.

As an optometric technician, she conducts preliminary testing prior to your eye exam. She also assists with special testing, contact lenses and other patient care needs as they arise. Her favorite part of being a technician is seeing how excited patients get about their eye health and vision. She enjoys the excitement of fitting someone in a pair of contact lenses for the very first time! Her technical skills and attention to detail make her an excellent fit for our team!

Emily lives in Clayton with her husband and her beloved fur babies. When not at work, Emily enjoys traveling to new places. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and trying out local breweries and restaurants.

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Jaquelyn was born in Mexico, but was raised in Forest City, NC before moving to Raleigh where she now calls home. She began her career in a call center involving insurance eligibility and verification but transitioned to a career in optometry in 2021. Jaquelyn enjoys being an optometric technician. She conducts preliminary testing prior to your eye exam and assists with special testing, contact lenses, and other patient care needs as they emerge. Her favorite part of being a technician is assisting with all the different types of ocular diseases that come into the office. She has a strong desire to learn and grow in her role as technician and constantly asks questions so that she can be the very best at her job. Jaquelyn’s energetic attitude and tenacity make her the ideal fit for our Wendell Eye Care team.

Outside of the office Jaquelyn enjoys listening to a variety of music but her heart is attached to K-pop. She practices her colorguard skills and keeps an eye out for workshops. She also enjoys seeking out new boba tea spots, parks, and libraries in the area. Recommendations are ALWAYS welcomed!

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April began her career in the optical industry in 2000 as an optical consultant. Since then, her career has flourished as she has taken on various roles in the optometry industry including optician, insurance specialist, and practice manager.

In April of 2015, she joined our Wendell Eye Care team as our insurance specialist. Since that time, April has taken on many roles in office including insurance, front desk duties and optical. Although April has the ability to do many things throughout the office, her true passion is insurance. She has a passion for making sure that your insurance information is correct and up to date and that our accounts receivables are current.

April currently lives in Bunn with her fiancé Lee and her boxer, Tylee. April and Lee are currently expecting their first child in June and we are excited to welcome a new little baby boy to our Wendell Eye Care family. In her free time, April enjoys spending time with her nephews, friends and family.

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Sara was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She worked in merchandising and retail management and took pride in great service and attention to details. Sara graduated from Bryman College for medical assisting in 2003. The following year, Sara moved to North Carolina to be closer to family and begin her career in the medical field as an office administrator in Primary Care and Gastroenterology.

New to Optometry, Sara joined our Wendell Eye care team in 2018 and continues to utilize her exceptional customer service skills as a patient care coordinator in our office. Sara will be one of the first faces you see as you enter our office. Her main roles include assisting patients with check-in and check-out, scheduling appointments, insurance verification and claim filing. Sara’s warm, friendly personality and kind heart make her the perfect fit for this role. She is sure to greet you with a smile and ensure your experience with our office is pleasant from start to finish.

Sara lives in Wendell with her husband, two daughters and their German shepherd. She is an active member at Hephzibah Baptist Church. When not at work, Sara enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and exploring new places.

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Danielle was born and raised in Westchester, New York. She began her career in retail where she moved up the ranks to supervisory and management positions. Embracing her love of animals she moved from retail to veterinary medicine. Danielle started as a customer service representative then shortly became the pharmacy/lab technician. In this role, she performed in house lab testing, maintained lab equipment, and prepared medications and samples. She also assisted the doctors in exam rooms as needed. Danielle started her career in the optical industry in 2019 as patient care coordinator and was cross trained as a backup technician for a well known optical office in Rye, New York. In 2020, she became a technician assisting both doctors, performing all pretesting and pre-screenings. In the fall of 2021, Danielle moved to North Carolina where she continued her technician career. She joined Wendell Eye Care in the summer of 2022 as a patient care coordinator and currently performs patient care coordinator and technician duties throughout each week. Danielle’s prior customer service experience, adaptability and bilingualism make her an asset and a great fit for the Wendell Eye Care team.

When not in the office, Danielle enjoys using her baking & pastry degree to experiment with flavors of cakes, cookies, and other confections. Her coworkers enjoy this as well! ☺️ Danielle loves all things spooky and she enjoys crafting of all kinds, especially making jewelry and sculpting. When there’s time, Danielle likes to relax watching scary movies with her husband Alex and playing with their dog Rhea.

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Nikki was born and raised in South Africa but now calls Franklinton, North Carolina her home. Nikki began her career in dermatology prior to joining the optometric field in 2007. She has over 20 years of front desk experience, including call center and insurance verification. As a patient care coordinator, she is one of the very first faces you will see when you walk into our office. She always has a smile on her face ready to greet you. She is courteous and caring and strives for excellence in everything she does. Nikki’s positive attitude and bright smile make her the perfect fit for our Wendell Eye Care team.

Nikki has 2 grown boys and 3 pups. The beach is her happy place! When not at work she enjoys boxing, spending time with her dogs and watching movies.